Volunteer

Every rugby player has their roots in the clubs which make up the Welsh Rugby Union and rugby clubs depend on volunteers to make all aspects of rugby possible.

Volunteering

Volunteering in rugby goes beyond the coaches and referees. We have opportunities for everyone to get involved in a range of activities and roles which are essential to our game.
It is essential we work together to support and train volunteers to make them feel part of the club environment and retain their valuable time and efforts.

With this in mind, the WRU supports such philosophies at Sport Wales’ Give to Gain principles. These principles apply to volunteers and clubs with the aim of supporting volunteers to develop and clubs to grow a skilled volunteer workforce.

1. Volunteers know exactly what is expected of them – this can be achieved through actively using clear role descriptions with time commitments or inductions.

2. Volunteers are valued, developed and supported – education courses, workshops or recognition awards will move towards this principle

3. The mutual benefits of volunteering are clear to everyone – emphasising why volunteers are key to our game and the benefits to volunteers such as improved health, employability and confidence will help grow our workforce.

Many clubs will be activating these principles, some may need support to grow further, some maybe at the beginning of the journey. With a clear focus on volunteering and developing the workforce, some clubs have nominated a Volunteer Coordinator to make sure that all volunteers are aware of the opportunities available to them, feel supported in their role and new volunteers have a clear pathway in to the club.

Volunteers really are the heart of our clubs. The WRU wants to support clubs in recruiting and training volunteers. If you would like further support, want to register a Volunteer Coordinator for your club or you are interested in becoming a volunteer yourself please email jharris@wru.wales for advice.

Volunteer Training

St Johns Wales Emergency First aid for Rugby – A 3 hour course tailored towards rugby volunteers focusing on injuries commonly seen on the pitch. This course is delivered at the clubhouse and is suitable for all volunteers over 16 years of age.

Strapping & Medical Awareness – This course is run by Regional physiotherapist and covers Serious injury, emergency action planning, basic concussion advice as well as strapping in partnership with Physique. The course is 2 hours long run at your club and is suitable for all First aiders working in u12’s rugby or above.

Safeguarding & protecting children – An accredited 3 hour course run in partnership with Sport Wales and the NSPCC. This course is an introduction to safeguarding with topics on how to protect the children you are working with, as well as protecting yourself in compromising situations. The course is suitable for all volunteers, and is part of their continuous professional development.

Food Hygiene – This course is a basic food safety course and is suitable for all volunteers in contact with food. The course lasts 6 hours and can be delivered over two evenings or in one session.

Introduction to Grounds Maintenance – A basic introduction to the role of grounds staff and key principles of grounds maintenance. The course will look at proactive maintenance schedules along with how to use basic equipment effectively. This is a great opportunity to ask questions about your ground, as well as any key issues you may have and how to alleviate them. The course is run on a weekend and lasts around 5 hours in total.

Join Us

Do you want to be part of the team behind every rugby player in Wales? It takes a wide range of people with a varied set of skills to make rugby happen.

Welsh rugby clubs are run thanks to the energy of community people like you who use their skills and dedication to make rugby happen. Do you have what it takes to be part of the team behind the Welsh Rugby Roots of players? Do you want the opportunity to develop yourself in a unique environment and gain skills and experience?

Being part of one of our clubs leads to you developing lifelong skills, from business administration to life-saving knowledge. The WRU aims to provide volunteers with opportunities to learn and develop their skills as a thank you for their time and commitment to the game.

Club Administrators are central to the clubs. Volunteers like Rhian Edwards of Seven Sisters started their rugby roots because their children were involved in the game. Rhian’s roots began with supporting the junior section to develop the club. It developed in to a role with the senior committee giving Rhian the opportunity to apply existing skills and develop more.

If club administration is not for you, we have team-based roles. Team Managers and First Aiders are central to making training and games happen every week. David Jones of Colwyn Bay is an example. As a youth team manager, he attended a Rugby First Aid course. He now uses this knowledge on a weekly basis with his team. He’s also used them outside of rugby attending to an individual who collapsed in a petrol station.

If you want to grow your rugby roots and be part of our game, let us help you by emailing us at jharris@wru.wales.

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